Open Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau National Inquiry into MMIWGT2S August 8, 2017
Who is this open letter to?
This open letter is addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau
This open letter will also be sent to:
Marion Buller, Chief Commissioner of the National Inquiry on MMIWG
Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples
Chief Perry Bellegarde, Assembly of First Nations
Manitoba Grand Chief, Arlen Dumas
All provincial and territorial premiers
Who are the signatories?
Families, relations, and grassroots organizers of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit (MMIWGT2S)
What are the motives of the signatories?
To see the Inquiry be successful and to honour all of our relations
This is our Inquiry, which weve helped started
For our voices to be part of the Inquiry
Summary of the Open Letter
Families of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women,
Girls, Trans, and Two-Spirit people should be at the center of
the Inquiry
The people running the Inquiry are not listening to our voices
and they are not building trust
The way the Inquiry is being run is hurting us and our
families
The Chief Commissioner treats us like critics, not partners
What does this Open Letter request?
A hard reset of Inquiry (defined and described below)
The Prime Ministers help to support so many family members and
relations that have been left out and hurt by the Inquiry
The Prime Minister to ask the Commissioners to resign or quit
The Inquiry to be restarted and be Indigenous and community led
How did this Open Letter come about?
A group of families, loved ones, and grassroots organizers of MMIWGT2S sent
an open letter to Chief Commissioner Buller in May asking for the Inquiry to
restructure. In July, a meeting with some signatories of this letter and the
Inquiry Commissioners was held in Toronto. Families worked hard at this
meeting to connect with the Inquiry, but felt it did not go well and that they
could no longer trust the Inquiry. After the meeting with the Commissioners,
the group met with Minister Bennett and invited her into a sharing circle.
During this sharing circle, the families asked Minister Bennett to restart the
Inquiry and to ask for the Commissioners to resign. However, Minister Bennett
did not listen or hear from families broadly or take necessary action.
During the same week as the meetings with the Commissioners and Minister
Bennett, Commissioner Marilyn Poitras resigned because of how the Inquiry
was being run. She felt that the Inquiry was running the wrong way and would
only hurt families and not lead to the needed systemic changes in the end. At
the end of July at the Assembly of First Nation meetings in Regina more
families tried to make their voices and concerns heard, but were not listened to
and many other families have not been able to share their concerns.
A reset is needed to make sure the Inquiry can make the
changes needed to ensure no more MMIWGT2S are taken
from us
The Inquiry needs to honour our right to security and our
right to have our voices heard
The Inquiry should make sure we are safe from all kinds of
violence and discrimination
Rooted in community, a reset Inquiry will involve families,
communities, and loved ones of MMIWGT2S
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Why does the Inquiry need a reset?
The Commissioners no longer have the trust of too many family
members: The Inquiry has taken a top-down, colonial model. It is
not engaged with our communities and is not built on our
knowledges
Only select family members being heard: The Inquiry isnt
listening to the many voices needed to make it effective
Missing voices: Too many voices arent heard by the Inquiry such
as Indigenous women and girls in jails or institutions, people who
trade or sell sex (sex workers), or LGBTQT2S people
The Inquiry is not connected or driven by our communities: The
hiring of the Liaison Officers and the independent formation of the
Family Information Liaison Units was not done with family
participation. The Inquiry didnt hire Community Liaison Officers
until 10 months into the process and the process connecting with our
communities is not rooted in relationship with our communities or
in Indigenous knowledges.
The process is not Indigenous trauma and violence informed:
The health team was one of the last teams appointed and have not
adequately supported families to feel safe and supported within a
trauma and violence informed model. These supports have been
directed by a Western, clinical model rather than Indigenous trauma
and violence informed processes
Continued lack of transparency and communications: The
Inquiry continues to schedule community visits in our communities
without any advanced warning or any transparent information
How to Get Involved
How do I add my signature?
Please contact:
o Julie Kaye at julie.kaye@usask.ca or at 306-880-2910
o Maggie Cywink at Cywinkmm@outlook.com or at 434-848-5385
Include in your email:
o Name and how you would like to be identified
What is a Hard Reset?
A hard reset does not mean the Inquiry will stop or that all information collected
so far will be lost. It is not a dismantling of the National Inquiry.
A hard-reset requires:
o time for healing
o ceremony
o resetting the process with new commissioners, chosen by
families and communities of MMIWGT2S
What is an Indigenous-led, community-driven Inquiry?
An Indigenous-led process will be guided by known and trusted
Indigenous leaders that have worked in our communities to make this
Inquiry a national reality
The Inquiry will provide supports to families, loved ones, and
communities to organize, heal, and build the Inquiry
Community-driven processes will be led by the voices of marginalized
groups, including sex workers, people who are street involved and people
who trade sex, LGBTQT2S people, and institutionalized persons
What actions does this Open Letter call for?
1. Honour the spirits of the MMIWGT2S
2. For the Prime Minister to call for a hard reset of the Inquiry
3. For the current Commissioners to resign
4. Include and hear the voices and concerns of the families and
loved ones
5. Provide supports are needed for families, loved ones, and
communities to organize and build up the Inquiry
6. Follow Indigenous-led, community-driven, and human rights
approaches
7. Have people who have expert knowledge of Indigenous law
and people who are trauma informed rebuild the Inquiry
8. Put into place a National Plan of Action right away
How do I become a contact for media requests?
Please contact Callie Cochrane at callandra.cochrane@gmail.com or at 647-
962-8096
Please include in your email:
o Name and contact for media requests (email and/or phone number)
o Whether you would like to speak to your regional media outlets and/or
national media outlets
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